INDIANAPOLIS (USBWA) Jake Ross of Springfield College (Springfield, Mass.) and Leah Porath of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (Oshkosh, Wis.) were named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Division III National Players of the Week for the week ending November 17.
Ross, a 6-5 senior guard from Northampton, Mass., recorded three double-doubles and scored at least 30 points in each of the Pride's (4-0) three victories last week. Against Keene State on Tuesday, Ross scored 41 points, collected 12 rebounds, and added eight assists, six steals and two blocks in Springfield's 106-101 win. In Friday's 92-82 victory over Endicott, he totaled 33 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Finally, on Saturday in an 87-83 victory vs. Emmanuel, Ross recorded 31 points and 13 rebounds to go with eight assists, three blocks and a steal. His block and ensuing two free throws with six seconds remaining helped seal the victory. For the week, Ross averaged 35 points, 12 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 2.6 steals, and 1.6 blocks. He shot 52.7 percent (38-of-72) from the field, 44.4 percent (12-of-27) from three-point range and 73.9 percent (17-of-23) from the foul line. Against Endicott, Ross surpassed the 2,000-point scoring mark for his career, only the third player in program history to reach that plateau, and he now leads NCAA Division III in scoring with 34.8 ppg. For his efforts, Ross was also named the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Player of the Week.
Porath, a 5-9 junior guard from New London, Wis., helped lead the No. 12 Titans (Women's Basketball Coaches Association) to two victories in their three outings. In a 68-54 win over St. Mary's of Minnesota on Monday, Porath scored 19 points, pulled down nine rebounds, dished out three assists, and added a block. On Friday, she missed only one shot from the field (9-of-10 FG, 4-of-4 3FG), finishing with 22 points in Oshkosh's 65-46 victory over Augustana. Porath also had two rebounds and an assist in the contest. On Saturday, against host No. 22 Loras, she posted career highs of 26 points and 12 rebounds, while adding two assists and two steals in an 88-83 overtime loss. For the week, Porath averaged 22.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.6 blocks, and 0.3 steals. She shot 68.4 percent (26-for-38) from the field, 76.9 percent (10-of-13) from three-point distance and 71.4 percent (5-of-7) from the foul line. For her efforts, Porath was also named to the Loras College Tip-Off Classic All-Tournament Team and Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Player of the Week.
Each Tuesday, the USBWA is selecting men's and women's Division III National Players of the Week. This is the sixth season that the USBWA will recognize national players of the week from Division III.
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America team since the 1956-57 season. For more information on the USBWA and its award programs, contact executive director Malcolm Moran at 814-574-1485.
2019-20 USBWA Division III National Players of the Week
Week ending Nov. 10: Nate Schimonitz, Nebraska Wesleyan University and Tessa Zamolyi, Misericordia University
· Week ending Nov. 17: Jake Ross, Springfield College and Leah Porath, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
· Week ending Nov. 24: Matthew Mancuso, University of Scranton and Katelyn Pickunka, Smith College
· Week ending Dec. 1: Hunter Martineau, Hilbert College and Sydney Kopp, DePauw University
· Week ending Dec. 8: Jared Wagner, York College and Amina Wiley, Mitchell College
· Week ending Dec. 15: Eric Demers, Gordon College and Alexis Jones, Augustana College
· Week ending Jan. 5: Tyler Frederick, La Roche University and Katie Garrish, Southern Virginia University
· Week ending Jan. 12: Chris LaBelle, Centenary University and Olivia Nagy, John Carroll University
· Week ending Jan. 19: Sam Jefferson, Colby College and Dejah Terrell, Albright College
· Week ending Jan. 26: Nate West, LeTourneau University and Taite Anderson, Bethel University
· Week ending Feb. 2: Brian Cameron, Wesley College and Abbey Lawrence, Case Western Reserve University
· Week ending Feb. 9: Jake Ross, Springfield College and Katie McShea, Marymount University
· Week ending Feb. 16: Isaiah Brown, SUNY Potsdam and Yuleska Ramirez-Tejeda, Emmanuel College
· Week ending Feb. 23: Nate West, LeTourneau University and Shyla Osmond, Albertus Magnus College
· Week ending March 1: Gabriel Leifer, Yeshiva University and Kelly Williams, Randolph-Macon College